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Patterns VS Note Visualization

Hmmm.... I must admit I'm kind of embarrased of asking this but (sixteenth notes snare drum fill here with timpani in 4ths) I have never relied on patterns (figuratively speaking 'cause no matter what you play you're always relying on them)but I always had kind of made up my own, the problem with this is that I got the fretboard nailed as long as it doesn't have a lot of accidentals but for instance if I try to play something in Gb or F# then I find myself really having to force my mind into the key (I don't know a better way to explain it) even though my fingers "know" the fingerings (there are only so many finger combinations you can use) my brain gets absolutely twisted and I have a hard time working on that tonallity and most times out of pure "and sincere" lazyness I end up transposing the song a half step up or down to a key that I'm familiar with... I didn't use to care much about that (and actually I don't think people has noticed it ) but it's getting kind of anoying... it's limiting... where if you use patterns you can always move it around, although that can limit you to box playing... so I was wondering where do I go from here? should I start getting into patterns for real or should I approach the problem with the system I'd been using... I guess my question would be "is going back to patterns taking a step back?" Any sugesstions and feedback will be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely yours,

Me

"If God had wanted us to play the piano he would've given us 88 fingers"

hi forgottenking,
i would say "going back to patterns" isn't really going a step back.
it's more like an addition you make to what you know. and i think it will combine with the way you're doing it now.

Hey FK! I know some people say to stay clear of patterns, and end up offering some "other" pattern system. But heck theres lot of stuff to learn in music, and patterns will only make you better s go for it.

I'm the one who started the thread in the link... But now I have a very good method.

When I learn patterns, I don't learn root-E "boxes", but I learn octave shape patterns. Every note on the fretboard has 5 octave patterns, and you need to practice until you see them quickly across the fretboard. For example - Try to visualise ONLY the note F over the neck.

Then you learn 5 patterns for every basic arpeggio, (maj7, m7, dom7, m7b5 and diminished). For example, you have 5 patterns for Dm7, covering the whole neck. When you learn them based on octave shapes, you actually have all m7 arpeggios.

Then you go for scales. Why arpeggios first? Because they make a skeleton for scale patterns. For Dorian, Aeolian and Phrygian you need to know the m7 patterns, and just add 3 notes that make the scale.

My basic practice method has 2 parts - one is modal and one is changing. First, record a vamp with only one chord, like dm7, and improvise from 1st position to 12th position. Start with chord tones, then expand into dorian, aeolian or phrygian. That way you learn to connect the patterns.
Next, record a cycle of fifths progression, and improvise on the different keys WITHOUT CHANGING POSITION. That forces you not to rely on root-E boxes.

That's it, I'm currently practicing heavily with my own method, and the results are awesome...